Andy! Andy! Andy! And More Andy!

The engine that could chalked up a big one on Friday on Centre Court in front of 15,000 unappreciative fans. Prior to the match Andy Roddick quipped that he would pretend every time he heard the crowd scream “Come on Andy,” he would pretend it was for him, not for Andy Murray. Andy Roddick stood alone on Centre Court surrounded by Brits pleading for an end to the 73-year drought that has plagued the nation.

Perhaps, it will happen next year, but for now, the Brits will have to wait one more time. Andy Murray is a wonderful tennis player. At 22 years young, there is little doubt that his day will come.

In an unexpected twist, Andy Murray out-aced the sultan of serve 25-21. However, Murray chose to play Roddick’s serve from 12 feet behind the baseline. Next time around, the Scotsman may re-think that strategy.

The match started as expected. When the twosome settled into points, Murray inevitably won. Roddick dominated the shorter points. Both players sported robust serves. The crowd was in the game and part of the contest and very much in Murray’s corner. It was a field day, the day the All England Club had awaited for 12 months.

In addition to the 15,000 fans around Centre Court, Henman’s Hill had thousands more passionate Murray fans. This was unsafe terrain for Roddick fans.

After a devastating setback in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 2007,  Roddick began to question himself, his ability and his future. In that fateful quarter match, he jumped out to a 2 set lead over controversial Frenchman Richard Gasquet. Inexplicably, the play turned. Roddick could not execute. He was out of gas and soon out of the tournament.

More questions arose in 2008. He was ousted in the third round at Melbourne, did not enter Paris and out in the second round at Wimbledon before reaching the quarters at the U.S. Open. Andy Roddick’s career was headed the wrong way down a one-way street. Roddick stared at the “this way only” sign and made a bold commitment to a coaching change.

In November 2008, Roddick hired accomplished coach Larry Stefanki. Larry had some ideas. They all began with a more dedicated work ethic and recognition that the sultan of serve needed more diversity in his game. The twosome went to work in the off-season.

Roddick and Stefanki were rewarded at Melbourne with a semifinal appearance. They were pleasantly surprised in Paris reaching the fourth round on clay, a surface with which Roddick has struggled all his career. There were other signs of a comeback. His 2009 won lost record stood at a very respectable 33-8.

Andy Murray’s 2009 record is 40-6. He championed the Queen’s Cup. He is the best tennis player Britain has put forth in a very long time. He is a heavyweight contender. He is in need of a big win. Once he gets that win, the sky is the limit.

In the first set of the match that was to launch a weekend of celebration culminating with the home country’s first Wimbledon title in 74 years, Andy Murray was serving at 4-5, deuce.

Andy Roddick disguised a forehand and went with a show-stopping drop shot. Silence! Advantage Roddick, set point.

At set point, Roddick drove a deep forehand crosscourt. Murray nets the sideline drive. Set over.

Silence on Centre Court. A magnificent set of tennis was observed by a cheerless audience; just what Andy Roddick wanted.

Andy Roddick had silenced the crowd, temporarily taken them out of the match. The pressure was squarely on The Scotsman. Commentators reported that Murray stood to gain $100 million pounds in endorsements with a Wimbledon title. That is a fair amount of pressure, maybe more than anyone should bear.

Much like Elena Dementieva the day before, Andy Roddick took the first set, went to the service line and blinked. Murray jumped at the opportunity and broke, then held to go up 2-0. Murray served brilliantly through the set, winning 6-4. Match on! Crowd back.

This match had everything; spectacular shotmaking, an abundance of athleticism, courageous serving, daring net play and two highly gifted professionals.

Andy Murray leads the tour in games broken in 2009. He has broken more serves than Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or Andy Roddick. He is the king of the break. He has speed, incredible touch and power, power and more power.

Andy Roddick is known as a server extraordinaire. That is the old Andy Roddick. The new Andy Roddick has dimension. He makes players play to his strength. He has patience, but he is not waiting. He is forcing, pressing. He comes up, cuts of shots, takes angles, hits deep crosscourt forehands and sharp down-the-line backhands.

Hey, this Andy Roddick is better than the old Andy Roddick, plus he knows more. He has been there; to the top of the mountain and to the bottom of the well.

There was no way Andy Roddick was caving in. If Andy Murray wanted this match, he was going to have to play better, play like someone who could challenge Roger Federer, not like someone who was ordained a title. Andy Murray was going to have to take this match away from Andy Roddick and it was not going to be easy.

Admit it or not, everyone around Centre Court could sense it. This was going to be a dogfight.

Roddick cast aside childish things. He did not dispute calls, he did not argue with the chair umpire. He stared Andy Murray down, then drew from the holster and shot from the hip.

He broke Murray to go up 3-1. He served a love game to go 4-1. At 5-3, Murray took charge, dominating the game. Roddick absorbed the loss. Murray pulled even and they held serve to get to 6-6.

Andy Murray may have the most breaks on the tour but Andy Roddick is a gunfighter. Roddick possesses the best tiebreaker record on the tour. Prior to today his tiebreaker record in 2009 stood at 25-4.

At 6-6, Roddick scored a break to go up 2-1. Murray answered to go 2-2. They went back and forth. At 4-5, Murray pitched two aces. Roddick would not go away.

He scored a 138 mph ace to go up 7-6. Murray hit a winner. 7-7. Roddick went crosscourt, Murray missed a forehand. Set point with Roddick up 8-7. Another crosscourt forehand by Roddick, another net ball from Murray. Set over!

The stunned crowd put their hand son their laps. Who is this new Roddick?

Set three had a similar feel. The spreading shadows foretold a dark day for the Brits. Murray served and played well. He appeared more athletic. Roddick was amazingly fit. He continued to press play, forcing shots, drop-shotting, slicing forehands, being annoying, totally uncompromising.

At 6-6, the tiebreaker began. The American jumped ahead when Murray missed a backhand at 1-2. Roddick followed with two big serves for 4-2. Murray barely caught the baseline to pull to 4-5. Roddick blistered a service winner.

At 6-4, Murray came up with a critical save passing Roddick at net. 5-6 Murray serving. Roddick thunders a return across the court. Roddick nets the retrieve. Match over.

Hail Andy Roddick, the sultan of serve, the master of pressure, the consummate underdog. Roger Federer will have to earn this championship. Andy Roddick does not go away easily.

German Tommy Haas has done it again! Would someone please tell this devilish playboy that is 31 years old, that this is Wimbledon and that a 24 seed is just not supposed to make the semifinals, much less knock off the four seed in the quarters, an 11 seed in the third round and a 29 seed in the fourth round. Give it up, Tommy! Just give it up!

Novak Djokovic had been unbothered at Wimbledon this year. He has played brilliantly. Through the fourth round he had not lost a set. He is a Serbian superstar and young. He has amassed $12 million in career earning, racked up 228 career wins in less than 4 years and holds a Grand Slam title. Tommy Haas; no mas!

For Djokovic, this event was about his semifinal match with Roger Federer. He could not wait. He would show the world on the game’s biggest stage and the parades in Serbia could soon resume. Hmm, did anyone tell Tommy Haas?

Under the watchful eye of a bevy of beautiful women that plan Haas’s every move, the smooth playing, smooth dancing and all around smooth talker gave Novak a goodbye kiss on Wednesday and marked another pitfall in the Serb’s chase for a second crown jewel.

As public a personality as Tommy Haas is and as public as his high profile love life is, very few fans really know much about the 31 year old. For example, Haas is a former European judo champion and schoolmate of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. He graduated from the Bollettieri Tennis Academy in 1996.

In 1995 he broke his right ankle and in 1996 broke the left. On both occasions, surgery was required. He has 443 career wins but has only reached the semifinals at Melbourne on two occasions. Other than that, he has never played beyond the fourth round in any Grand Slam event. That has now changed.

Tommy showed signs of brilliance at Roland Garros. He stormed ahead of Federer to a 2-0 set lead before being turned away. Yet, that was on clay and who really expected Tommy Haas to come out beat Marin Cilic in a five set two-day marathon?

Tommy Haas has plenty to do. Look at the young lady on his shoulder. Two-day matches are not part of the Haas deal.

Well, go figure. Tommy Haas arrived at Wimbledon with confidence, conviction, a sense of determination and the best looking significant other. That’s what we like about Tommy. He is a man of all sports, all seasons and gets it about how great his existence really is.

That hardly seems the case for Novak Djokovic. Midway through the first set, he came to realize the crowd was pulling for his opponent. Serving at 5-5, 30-15, he thought the crowd over-celebrated his out ball. Oops! How dare they!

Djokovic promptly spit up three points and when Haas held, the set was over.

There is appoint in every Djokovic match, where the unexpected can happen. The trainer can be summoned. Drama erupts. He is capable of a walk-off at any moment. It is known as Jankovic-Djokovic Serbian theater. On Wednesday, nervous fans began to wonder if this just might happen again.

Actually, Novak composed himself. Djokovic had chances to win set two. At every instance, Haas had an answer or Novak showed hints of inconsistency and moments of frustration. When Haas pulled out the 8-6 tiebreaker, the fans knew and perhaps Novak knew that this one was over.

Novak won set four but Haas asserted his net play. He was the aggressor, following strokes to the net and volleying crisply and with deft finesse. When Tommy completed the 7-5, 7-6, 4-6, 6-3 win, it became clear that if there is one player ready for Federer, it is Tommy Haas. He will give it his best, contest every shot, keep coming to net and doing what got him here and what got him that 2 set lead in Paris. And, when the match is over and the lights go dim, Tommy will be ahead of us all… somewhere on the scene in London town. Good win, Tommy!

Rafa withdrew. Juan Martin came out soft. Davydenko is gone. Fernando Gonzalez was outlasted. Blake never showed. Robredo succumbed. Marat Safin went down in the first round.

Israel’s unseeded Dudi Sela is still playing. Ivo Karlovioc had too much for Jo-Willy. Soderling is for real. Tommy Haas came through. Lleyton Hewiit put a continent on his shoulders and is carrying it forward. Stanislaus Wawrinka came back against young Jesses Levine. Unseeded Juian Carlos Ferrero is in the final 16.

Even if they say they don’t, Andy Roddick (6), Gilles Simon (9), Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have one eye on that Swiss gentleman, the winner of 14 Grand Slam championships.

This just may be the greatest Wimbledon ever. Everywhere you look, the unexpected is happening. And, there is just enough superstar charisma left to keep it very interesting.

Of the final 16 gentlemen combatants, there is a 23 seed (Stepanek), a 20 seed (Berdych), a 19 seed (Wawrinka), a 29 seed (Andreev), a 24 seed (Haas), a 22 seed (Karlovic) and 3 unseeded (Hewiitt, Sela, Ferrero), players left. 9 never-should- have lost to that guy winners!

Purists might say, the draw was poorly seeded. Experts shake their head, looking for answers that are not there on paper. Wimbledon is not about those past performances. What you did in Paris or Melbourne does not matter. At the All England Club, all that matters is how you perform on grass for two weeks. Your next return matters. Your next serve matters. The next slip on the grass, the next bad bounce, the next missed volley can make or break your year. It is that time of this tournament.

Week two begins now. Sunday at Wimbledon will be one of the great days of tennis. The hot players will be in form. Luck of the draw is gone. This is money time.

This is the way we see the gentlemen’s draw unfolding.

Hewitt – Stepanek - Hewitt has momentum and is splaying with purpose. A former Wimbledon Champ, this 29-year old still has some bounce in his game. 31-year old Radek Stepanek knocked off Ferrer in five but it had to take a toll. We like Hewitt convincingly.

Berdych – Roddick – Roddick sounds confident and it is not all about his serve anymore. Berdych was impressive against Davydenko winning in three decisive sets. Roddick in a close one, but don’t bet the milk money.

Murray – Wawrinka – Wawrinka had trouble with Levine. He has not seen anything like Murray will throw at him. For Queen and Country. Bet the farm on Murray.

Ferrero – Simon – A surprising five set win over Gonzalez gives Ferrero all the credibility he needs. Simon is yet to be tested. This one is a toss up but the upset could happen. No bet.

Andreev – Haas – Andreev must have dreamt this draw, but he struggled with Seppi. Haas is playing with confidence and we like his girlfriend… a lot! Like to see more of her. Haas in five.

Sela – Djokovic – How did this happen? Talk about David and Goliath. Not going to happen this time around, sling shot or not. Novak has not lost a set. Djokovic is the play of the day. Softest match out there.

Verdasco – Karlovic – Karlovic played with confidence against an outmanned Tsonga. The blazing serve was working. Fernando better be home sleeping and not playing footsy with Ana. We like Verdasco, but this is a tough one. No play.

Soderling – Federer – Soderling is no fluke and has a score to settle. Federer dropped surprising set to Kohlschreiber before finishing at 6-1. Impossible to bet against the man. Federer wins.

Well, write them down. Let us know how you see it. As crazy as this draw is, when you break it down, Federer has the toughest roads to the finals. Roddick and Hewitt should meet. Murray walks to semis. Djokovic in semis unless he beats himself… again! Tomorrow has it all. How will we watch all that tennis?

Queens finalist James Blake has become the first major casualty of the men’s singles tournament as he went down 7-5 6-4 7-6 (7-5) to Andreas Seppi. What a difference a week makes eh?

The American no.17 seed was unable to reproduce the same form at AEGON Championships which saw him win three out of four matches on grass, only to be pipped to the title by world number three Andy Murray.

But the 29-year-old will take no further part in this years’ grass court season after suffering a straight sets defeat to Italian Seppi. The unseeded 25-year-old dominated control of the game with Blake producing a series of unforced errors and subsequently falls at the first hurdle, and Seppi will now take on Frenchman Marc Gicquel in round two.

Meanwhile, tournament favourite Federer got his assault on a 6th Wimbledon title off to the perfect start with a 7-5 6-3 6-2 victory over Yen-Hsun Lu.

The world number two opened the first game of the tournament at Centre Court as the main attraction of the day. And despite dropping serve early on in the first set, the Swiss delivered a dominant display for the crowd to book his place in round two.

The 27-year-old will now face a tougher test as he meets Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez who beat Agustin Calleri in three comfortable straight sets earlier in the day.

Fourth seed Novak Djokovic came from a set down to secure a 7-6 6-7 2-6 4-6 first round win over Julien Benneteau.

Benneteau has now lost 11 of his last 12 opening round matches on the Grand Slam circuit but threatened to stage a major upset after battling his way to the first set with a dramatic tie break win.

He was unable to claim the second set as they reached another tie break, this time Djokovic showed no mercy as he powered his way through with a series of mini breaks and square up the contest.

And the Serbian world number four was galvanised by the tie break win as the match was turned on its head and the 22-year-old cruised to the finish line by taking the next two sets with games to spare.

Elsewhere, 9th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga battled his way to a 6-3 5-7 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-5) win over Andrey Golubev on Court Two. The Frenchman was forced into tie breaks in the final two sets as his Kazakhstani opponent refused to lie down.

The match was a contender for the best of the day, however that award must surely go down to Karol Beck and Feliciano Lopez as fans on court 18 were treated to an epic five set thriller.

Beck took victory over his number 24 seed opponent with a 10-8 triumph in the final set after the two fought out an openly close four sets prior to the classic finale.

Meanwhile, French Open finalist Robin Soderling also got off to a winning start despite falling a set behind to Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller. The Swede, 13th seed, recovered to run out a 6-7 (4-7) 7-5 6-1 6-2 winner.

The 24-year-old did not participate in a grass court tournament to warm up for the third grand slam of the season, so will be particularly pleased at passing his first test since his French Open defeat to Federer.

In the women’s tournament there were few surprises on day one as the big names each pulled through to secure second round challenges.

Second seed Serena Williams made light weight of Neuza Silva with a 6-1 7-5 win on Centre Court after Federer has previously opened proceedings.
The Portuguese qualifier was out powered by Serena’s superior serve as the two time Wimbledon queen took just short of an hour and a quarter to dispatch of the 26-year-old Silva.

Fellow former Queen of the grass court tournament Maria Sharapova also progressed on Day One as she fought out a 7-5 6-4 win over Ukrainian qualifier Viktoriya Kutuzova.

The Russian babe did not have everything her own way however as she found herself 4-1 and 5-3 down at stages in the first set. However, the 2004 Champion regained her stability and showed great fight to overturn the early pressure and take the set.

The 22-year-old has slipped down the rankings this year as shoulder surgery has restricted her participation on the ATP tour. However, a good showing at the AEGON Classic tournament in which she reached the semi finals, Sharapova has been tipped as an outsider for the tournament and showed the kind of determination on day one which suggests she not just here to make up the numbers.

Aside from the front runners, English teenager Laura Robson suffered defeat on her senior debut at the hands of Daniela Hantuchova. Much was unfairly expected of the wildcard entrant, who is still only 15, as she suffered a creditable 3-6 6-4 6-2 defeat to the Slovakian, ranked number 32 in the world.

Some impressive serving from the teenager, who was born in Australia, enabled her to take a shock lead as she powered to the first set and had Hantuchova rattled early on.

However, the 26-year-old proved her hugely superior world ranking over Robson was justified as she capitalised on a series of double faults as the youngsters serve lost its way following the early promise.

Hantuchova will now face a much bigger task as she takes on sixteenth seed Jie Zheng in the second round after she beat unseeded Kristina Barrois 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-4).

Meanwhile Englishman James Ward was unable to cause a first-round upset as he went down to number seven seed Fernando Verdasco in straight sets. The Spaniard used his experience to breeze past the British hopeful 6-1 6-3 6-4 in what looks like another disappointing year for the hosts’ English representatives. Verdasco will now face Serbian front runner Novak Djokovic in the second round in the first big name dual of the tournament.

And so the All English Club’s desperate wait for another English winner of their tournament continues with only Scot Andy Murray offering a realistic chance of producing a British winner in either tournament, and he will open his tournament assault on day two of the 123rd Wimbledon tournament.

The flamboyant defending champion and tournament top seed has rocked the tennis world once again. This time it is with his absence. The world’s number one has withdrawn from the grandfather and most prestigious of all the Grand Slams. Rafael Nadal announced his withdrawal after the original draw had been formed and sent tournament organizers into a tailspin. Critics score Nadal’s late decision as unfortunately typical. The Spaniard might have been better served by announcing his withdrawal earlier in the week, but that is not Rafa’s style.

There are many players who benefit from Nadal’s departure. Remarkably, the second seed, 14-time Grand Slam Champion and five-time Wimbledon Champion, Roger Federer has the most difficult path to the semi-finals.

In the greatest player of all-time’s quarter are heavyweights Fernando Verdasco (7), Ivo Karlovic (22), Jo-Wilfreid Tsonga (9), Robin Soderling (13) and Feliciano Lopez (21). If form holds, Round Four will be a rematch of the French Open finals pitting Soderling against the five-time winner. In the quarters, Verdasco should be looming, but Tsonga does not go away quietly. Tennis experts are shaking their collective heads and wondering how it could be any more difficult for the focused Federer to claim his 15th title.

Meanwhile, Scotsman Andy Murray, winner of the Queen’s and now top seed in the top half of the draw, has a comparative cakewalk to the quarters. His chief combatants will be Stanislaus Wawrinka (19), aging Marat Safin (14), Fernando Gonzalez (10), Victor Hanescu (31) and 8 seed Gilles Simon, who is not at the top of his game. If form holds, Murray’s fourth round would pit the testy Scot against Wawrinka. The Scotsman would meet the Frenchman, Simon, in the quarters. For Murray the path is clear to the semis.

The fourth seed is Serb Novak Djokovic, who escaped a quarterfinal matchup against Juan Martin del Porto when Nadal withdrew. Djokovic’s quarter has Mardy Fish (28), Tommy Robredo (15), Rainer Schuettler (18), Marin Cilic (11), Tommy Haas (24) and the struggling James Blake (17) who was moved to fill del Porto’s slot. What a mess!

If form holds, Djokovic will meet the tough Robredo in the fourth round and Cilic in the quarters. Djokovic is unaccustomed to such a relaxed draw and this may be just the spark the moody Serb needs to make a big move.

Juan Martin del Porto (5) slides into Nadal’s place. He is far and away the biggest beneficiary of Nadal’s damaged knees. In his quarter are Radek Stepanek (23), David Ferrer (16), Nikolay Davydenko (12), Tomas Berdych (20) and probable quarterfinal matchup Andy Roddick (6).

Like del Porto, Roddick must be licking his chops. Roddick is two-time runner-up at Wimbledon and is enjoying a fine year. It has been a long time since the American has been positioned so well at a Grand Slam.

The Ladies Singles’ Draw

Wimbledon will be Dinara Safina’s most difficult Grand Slam Draw of the year. The number one seed will be challenged to get through the quarters where her decisive Roland Garros conquerer, Svetlana Kuznetsnova (5), will be waiting. The top of the draw looks to provide some other hefty challenges for the nervous Safina, who has a more difficult path than Svetlana to the probable quarterfinal pairing. Fiava Pennetta (15), Amelie Mauresmo (17) and Caroline Wozniacki (9) stand in the way of the French rematch.

Third seeded Venus Williams looks to have the most favorable quarter. The five-time winner at Wimbledon has not needed a lot of help in the past. She is an expert grass-court player. With her sister in the lower half of the draw, the possibility of a Williams-Williams final matchup looks very possible. However, there are stumbling blocks aplenty for both sisters. The main competition in Venus’s quarter will come from the well-conditioned Samantha Stosur (18), Ana Ivanovic (13), Agnes Radwanska (11) and French disappointment Jelena Jankovic (6). Stosur is in top form and poses a stern test for the three seed. Jankovic looks to have a clear path but seems to stumble in Grand Slam tournaments.

Number two seed, Serena Williams is chomping at the bit to regain her former number one ranking. The tough American is well suited for the Wimbledon grass and plays her best when the pressure is highest.

The younger Williams should have smooth sailing to the quarters. A likely fourth round pairing with Patty Schnyder (21) should not present much of a test. However, the quarter possibilities are intriguing. 24th seed and fast returning to form Maria Sharapova (24) is a strong candidate along with hard-hitting Victoria Azarenka (8), and Nadia Petrova (10). There are four potential champions in this quarter.

Elena Dementieva whose sub-par performance in Paris has raised previously unasked questions about her fitness and heart will need to play better to knock off Dominika Cibulkova in the fourth round. Elena will probably face the always-ready Vera Zvonareva (7) or Marion Bartoli (12) in the quarters.

Our longest shot of the Wimbledon event is American 17 year old Melanie Oudin who arrived in the main draw via three qualifying wins. A month ago, the pretty Georgian was finishing her junior year in high school. Oudin plays 29th seed Sybille Bammer in the first round. Oudin could well surprise but will certainly be game.

Two surprising draws are bound to provide great play, loads of emotion and more than the usual number of upsets.